I shared our preoccupation with size when scouting out where to live in Portugal. So Olhão was not on our radar when we traveled south to scout out where to settle. But it might just be a perfect fit for you!
A Bit of History
The first written records of this city date back to 1378, at that time it was called Olham. Situated between its big brother, Faro population 62,000, in the west and little sister, Tavira population 25,000, today Olhão has approximately 45,000 residents, of which approximately 35,000 are “in town”. Its coastline is protected by several barrier islands providing safe harbors for fishermen.
This encouraged fishermen and associated industries to flock to this area in the 17th century. By 1695, Olhão was large enough to request to be de-annexed from neighboring Quelfes.
But Olhão's place in history occurred 214 years ago. If you paid better attention in history class than I did, you know that at that time the French (you remember that short guy tickling his stomach in all the portraits…yep, Napoleon) occupied Portugal. [Read all about the Peninsular Wars here.] Napoleon had tried to cut a deal with Prince João1 but the Prince would not agree. So in 1807 Napoleon sent his troops to Lisbon and the Portuguese royal family, noted dignitaries and noblemen fled to Brazil. Despite the occupation, there were relatively few revolts…that is until 16 June 1808 when a ragtag group of locals expelled the occupiers from Olhão. This event led quickly to the liberation of Algarve and, with a little help from the British, the expulsion of the French from Portugal.
Bom Sucesso
One month after the Olhão uprising, 17 fishermen boarded the Bom Sucesso and set sail for Brazil to communicate the good news to their king. The boat only 17 meters long and utilizing two sails, remarkedly, arrived in Rio.
The crew, from Olhão, faces a dark crossing and its pilot, without any guidance device or maritime chart, is guided by an estimate drawn on a primitive map, taking advantage of the sea currents and favorable winds. Returning to Olhão, they announce: the Prince Regent had granted the honorable title of Vila de Olhão da Restauração to the former place of Olhão. — VisitOlhão.pt
We were unable to get onto the boat during our visit, still, from our vantage point, it is hard to imagine how one safely crosses an ocean in such a vessel.
Mercado
If you read anything about Olhão their Mercado will be mentioned. Open every day but Sunday it is known for its incredible selection of fresh fish. The Mercado is spread across two buildings…fish in one, produce, cheese, and meat in the other. This very desirable configuration led both of us to agree that it is the best-smelling Mercado we have visited. We picked up some figs (just now coming into season) and some plump, ripe tomatoes. Later we crossed to the fish market and purchased shrimp.
Never Go Hungry
There are a plethora of restaurants in Olhão. We certainly didn’t explore the entire city, spending nearly all of our time on Avenida 5 de Outubro. Frankly, with so many options it was hard to decide where to have lunch. We spotted a large pitcher of white sangria on a table. Denise went inside to inspect the fresh catch and announced we are eating here. And so it was … a brief visit to a city that is not too big, nor too small. It might be just the right size for you.
Now that I have done more research we will definitely be making another 40-minute drive or 1-hour train ride to Olhão. It’s a town that deserves a second look.
If you want more information check here and here.
Next Week: how many holidays can one country have and Portuguese names.
Prince João had taken over for his mom (Queen Maria of Braganca) who had been declared insane by Dr. Willis, a British physician famous for treating the madness of King George III. Dr. Willis declared the Queen was “untreatable”.
We plan to visit Olhão in December and your article provided helpful insights. Sounds like we should allow for more time than I was planning.
Great write up! Thanks.